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National Science Foundation

FYI covers NSF’s major research and facilities programs, with a special focus on the Math and Physical Sciences Directorate. FYI also covers the foundation’s general policy, strategy, and administration, as well as activities of the National Science Board.

National Quantum Initiative Signed into Law

4 Jan 2019

The enactment of the National Quantum Initiative Act on Dec. 21 creates a multiagency program spanning the National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Science Foundation, and Department of Energy. As part of the initiative, NSF and DOE will each establish between two and five competitively awarded research centers.

Astro2020 Decadal Survey Shifts into Gear

7 Dec 2018

The National Academies has issued a statement of task and selected the leaders for the next decadal survey in astronomy and astrophysics. Meanwhile, proponents of large projects are preparing their submissions for the survey.

Trump Appoints New National Science Board Members

6 Nov 2018

President Trump has made five new appointments to the National Science Board, the governing board of the National Science Foundation. He has also renewed the terms of Geraldine Richmond and former Board Chair Maria Zuber.

NSF Scaling Up STEM Diversity Efforts with INCLUDES Network

2 Nov 2018

To address the persistent underrepresentation of women and minorities in STEM fields, the National Science Foundation has issued a set of major awards through its INCLUDES initiative to scale up promising strategies with a national network of projects.

Plasma Science Decadal Survey Heats Up

31 Oct 2018

A National Academies study committee has begun a decadal survey of progress and opportunities in plasma science that will complement a separate forthcoming assessment of U.S. research programs in magnetic confinement fusion.

NSF Mid-Scale Infrastructure Strategy Taking Shape

24 Oct 2018

The National Science Foundation announced on Oct. 15 that it plans to issue new agency-wide funding opportunities for research infrastructure projects in the range of $6 million to $70 million. The next day, the National Science Board released a report that documents how such mid-scale projects are “underrepresented” in NSF’s portfolio and endorses an agency-wide approach to funding them.

Science Strategies Chart Course for Detecting Life on Other Worlds

17 Oct 2018

In the past two months, the National Academies has released science strategies for astrobiology and the study of exoplanets. The documents recommend steps to maintain the current rapid rate of progress in those fields and to enable the detection of life elsewhere in the universe.

Efforts to Combat Sexual Harassment Gain Momentum

3 Oct 2018

Amid increasing calls for action from within the scientific community and Congress, some federal agencies and scientific societies have advanced new initiatives to combat sexual harassment in the sciences. 

NSF Launches Competition to Identify New ‘Big Ideas’

5 Sep 2018

Through a public prize competition, the National Science Foundation is soliciting proposals for “fresh ideas” to help shape its future investments.

NSF Seeks to Mitigate Burden of Rising Facility Costs

29 Aug 2018

To protect budgets for research grants from being squeezed by rising facilities operations costs, the National Science Foundation plans to propose shoring up support for research disciplines such as astronomy and ocean sciences, where the problem is particularly pressing.

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